Children from Narikurava community turn ‘commentators’ in puppetry production

Chennai: Fifteen children from the Narikurava community in Pallavaram are taking centre stage as storytellers in Enge Engal Nadhigal (Where Are Our Rivers?), a year-long puppetry production by Agai – Theatre of Voices.

As part of the initiative, the children were taken on a “Toxic Tour” of industrial north Chennai on July 18 to understand how development impacts everyday life. The tour was organised by Agai in collaboration with Vettiver Collective and Chennai Climate Action Group.

For many of the children, it was their first visit to the city’s industrial belt. They saw thermal power plants, oil refineries, the Adani Port, and tall chimneys that mark the skyline. At each stop, they learned how pollution and industrial activity affect air quality and local communities.

The tour was not just an awareness exercise. The children wore a “researcher’s hat,” collecting observations and stories to weave into their own scripts for the puppetry production.

Enge Engal Nadhigal positions children as commentators on environmental issues, with the Narikurava participants writing and performing their own narratives on rivers, pollution, and urban change.

Through theatre and first-hand exposure, the project aims to give young voices from marginalised communities a platform to speak on climate and environmental degradation.